Caught Between a Lie and True Love (Caught Between series Book 1) (24 page)

Smile
, she reminded herself.
You’re having fun
.

And by the time she crossed the gymnasium, she was confident she looked like the perfect hostess. Relaxed, calm, and thrilled to have her guests arrive.

“Matilda, Mr. Calhoun, you’re the first to arrive,” she trilled and she hastened them away from the entrance so they wouldn’t clog up the main door.

Matilda glanced around, her nose in the air, her voice cool. “The decorations are lovely, Delores.”

The red, white, and blue of their country filled the stage and the wattage of her smile turned real. “Thanks, Matilda.”

With a grand gesture, Jeb handed her a small bottle. “Something special for our lovely hostess. You should tuck this away and save it for later. After all your hard work to arrange the evening, I’m sure you can use something to relax afterwards.”

Reluctantly, she accepted the bottle, squinted at the label and saw it was expensive champagne. She looked up into the clearest, bluest eyes ever, and recognized the cunning in his soul. “Are you attempting to buy my vote, Mr. Calhoun?”

“Call me Jeb. And would it work if that was my plan?” He winked and Delores realized for an older guy, he was still good looking. Charming, too. No wonder the old biddies in town loved him.

It was a bad, bad combination that could very well get him elected Mayor. Maybe she should offer him some of her special pound cake, too.

“Thank you so much, Jeb. I appreciate the gesture.” She hugged the bottle to her chest and watched Jeb put his arm around Matilda’s shoulders and give the older woman an intimate smile. Delores filed the info away for future use and let her gaze swing over to Matilda who, in the process of shrugging his arm off, gave Delores a strained smile.

“I came by your house yesterday—”

“Wonderful,” she interrupted, while inside her chest her heart beat a rapid staccato, and her stomach refused to stop turning somersaults.

Killing people always upset her stomach…

A sound at the entranceway rescued her from the boredom of listening to whatever the older woman wanted to say. She shoved the bottle into Matilda’s hands. “Help yourself to some coffee or punch and something to eat. We’ll start the debate at seven sharp.”

Delores hurried to the entranceway where she spent the next thirty minutes greeting the steady stream of neighbors and friends. Directing people toward the food and drinks. Urging them to mingle and talk. Watching—waiting—for Brody to arrive.

And Paige, of course. After all, what was a diabolical scheme without a victim?

Brody finally arrived with his entourage, which had grown considerably since the day before. This time, not only were Hope and the Judge at his side. Paige and her bratty daughter were there too, escorting Olivia through the crowd.

It was the first time she’d seen Brody and Paige together since the night she’d caught them making out in his bedroom, and something had changed. For the first time since he’d returned to the island, he seemed calm, at home, comfortable in the sea of islanders who clamored for his attention.

And even though Paige, her grandma, and the two teenage brats were hanging outside of his circle, every once in a while Brody’s attention turned in their direction.

There was affection in his gaze.

Affection
and possession
.

Affection and possession
and love
.

Delores clasped one hand against her stomach and drew a sharp breath.

The open display of emotion sickened her. It was one thing to keep a floozy on the side, in secret, out of the public eye. Every great
First Lady
had to be ready to ignore the alpha tendencies of her man to conquer and possess the beautiful women who threw themselves at him.

But really, the least Brody could do was wait till after the wedding before he got all snug and cozy with his whore.

And yet, they looked so much like a real family, it brought tears to Delores’s eyes.

She turned her back on them, and while she tried to recapture her breath, her gaze fell on the Judge.

For the first time, she noticed how handsome he was. A flutter of something wicked started in her womb and pulsed lower.

Delores gasped.

First Jeb. Now the Judge. It was as if overnight she’d developed the hots for older men.

Except this one had an ever growing glower on his face as he mumbled his way through the crowd. “Look at her, making a fool of herself.”

Delores followed his gaze to where Matilda was serving Jeb a piece of pie. Finally, it made perfect sense why the Judge seemed to be in such a snit these days. Jealousy was such an unattractive emotion, it effectively killed whatever desire she’d felt for the man.

At seven on the dot, Delores stepped up on stage, the line of her skirt straight, her posture perfect, her smile firmly in place. She stood to the side of the podium so everyone could see her fabulousness, and introduced the candidates and explained the rules.

As the debate started, she went through the motions, directing questions, yet tuning out the actual words. What was said between the two men wasn’t important, at least not to her.

Soon she’d be in her rightful place, First Lady of Serendipity Island, and President of the Ladies Society.

By the time the debate was over and she began to mingle with the crowd consuming the food and drinks she’d slaved over, she had her attention zeroed in on Paige. Delores made a beeline for the kitchen and retrieved her special pound cake. As she carried it through the gymnasium, she had to deny several people who wanted a piece.

Inches away from Paige, Delores stopped, shoved the plate under her nose, instantly garnering her attention. “I’m so glad you made it tonight, Paige.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

And as Paige turned her gaze toward Jeb, Delores couldn’t help but sense the animosity Paige had for her own daddy.

Interesting. She wondered if Paige ever thought of getting rid of Jeb, maybe smother him in the night with a pillow. Although rat poison was her own favorite blend.

She shook the thought away and refocused on the tray in her hands. “You must be starving. Have a piece of cake and some coffee.”

Paige glanced at the plate, but instead of selecting a piece, she leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I know you wanted Brody to shine tonight, but he’s no match for my dad. I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen to me.”

Delores leaned slightly back so Paige wouldn’t be quite so in her face, but she kept the plate up so the sweet scent would drift toward Paige and tempt her to take a few bites. That’s all it would take. “Brody is the favored opponent.”

“Not after tonight. Did you hear the crowd?”

Worried now, anxious to get this bit of the evening over so she could talk to Brody and the Judge about the debate, Delores held the plate inches from Paige’s mouth and tried not to beg. “Take a piece, please. You’ll die when you taste my pound cake.”

Delores saw Paige lift her hand toward the plate. She held her breath, anticipation blooming inside of her. But when Paige merely pushed the plate aside so she could lean closer, Delores blinked stupidly.

How dare she not cooperate. Delores pressed back, but Paige was oblivious to the tiny resistance.

“Weren’t you paying attention, Delores? My dad ate him up.”

Delores froze, her hand in midair, the tray now out there for anyone to grab as she focused her full attention on Paige. “But everyone loves Brody.”

“But on the lips of everyone tonight is
Jeb For Mayor
and we can’t let that happen.”

A hand darted into Delores’s line of sight and grabbed for one of the tiny cakes, but she was faster. She pulled the tray back to her chest as Matilda and Jeb joined their circle.

Matilda reached for the tray again. “Come on, Delores, you know those are my favorite. Tonight I don’t care about the calories.”

Panic infiltrated her. Things were not going as planned at all. Brody was supposed to come out on top of the debate. And by now, Paige should be on the floor withering in pain.

Matilda managed to get her hands on one of the cakes. Delores grabbed her wrist, ready to tussle for it, if necessary. But with the cake an inch from her mouth, the old bat said, “Brody is going down and it’s all thanks to you, Delores. Your idea to hold the debate was absolutely brilliant.”

She looked to Paige for confirmation. Sure enough, the other woman had a frown of contention on her forehead as she frowned back.

Delores let go of Matilda’s wrist, offered her the plate again, and thought,
Die Bitch
.

Then she turned and stomped off to the kitchen where she dumped the remains of the cake down the garbage disposal to hide the evidence.

Pulling her cell phone out of her bra, she dialed the number of the FBI, and was immediately put on hold. But she had patience galore for what she was about to do. When someone finally picked up the phone, she said, “Yes, I’d like to report the whereabouts of a criminal on Serendipity Island.”

New plan.

Same result.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Matilda swallowed the last mouthful of Delores’s deliciously wicked pound cake and watched the other woman scurry away.

There was something off about the younger woman tonight, something more off than usual.

In the kitchen, Delores dumped the remainder of the cake down the carburetor.

Stranger still
.

Someone bumped into Matilda from behind and she turned on her heel to greet them, only to come face to face with Harry.

For a moment, she stared at him and he stared back, and she had the sudden urge to offer a truce. After all, Jeb had creamed Brody in the debate. Plus Harry and her had been so good together. Just because their affair was over didn’t mean they couldn’t part friends.

But then the big lug opened his mouth.

“Your boyfriend hasn’t got a chance, Mattie.”

“Stop calling me Mattie,” she breathed as her stomach cramped in pain. “And he’s not my boyfriend.”

Harry sneered down at her. “He’s a loser. He can’t even get a decent job. He’s no better than a janitor—”

“You’re a snob, Harry Malone.” She lifted her chin as a flash of sweat covered her body. “Jeb does good work. All of the widows love him.”

One masculine brow winged up, and Harry leaned forward, getting into her face. “How’s he in the sack, Mattie? Better than me?”

Along with the increasing cramps, she had the sudden urge to slap him. She fisted both hands against the pain in her stomach and refused to back down.

But as she opened her mouth to lie through her teeth, his gaze flickered away from her, and he straightened and whistled.

“Well, I don’t need you any more either,
Matilda
. There are other women in town.” His derisive gaze dropped to her face, flickered down her body. “Sexier women.”

And with her stomach cramping double-time, and sweat oozing out of her pores, she watched him brush past her.

He went to Lisa, and kissed her hand, and Matilda recognized his flirting smile because it had been directed at her so often.

She felt heartsick, dowdy, and depressed.

Alone, she headed toward the buffet table with hopes of eating something to settle her stomach. As she moved along, she saw Brody and Hope together, shaking hands with the townspeople, united in their quest to win Brody the Mayor’s chair.

And she realized that somewhere along the line, they’d become united against
her
.

She stood there in the buffet lineup, sweating and nauseous, and utterly lonely.

Maybe she should find her escort and ask him to take her home.

With the pain in her stomach increasing, she glanced around the room for Jeb. Surrounded by widows, he was the man of the hour, the toast of the town.

She decided to leave and once outside, she sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. In the next moment, she doubled over in pain.

Matilda made her way to her car and drove herself to the hospital, sad and sick and lonely.

No one would even miss her.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Matilda spent the night in the hospital, weak and nauseous. As a result of the food poisoning, she’d had her stomach pumped. She dozed off and on, letting herself drift in and out of sleep, not wanting to think about Jeb and Harry, and Hope and Brody.

There was a commotion at the door, then she heard Harry’s commanding voice.

“I don’t care that I’m not family. You’re going to let me in or I swear, I’ll make such a ruckus, you’ll have to call the police.”

A thrill went through her, momentarily alleviating her upset stomach and with determination, she kept her eyes shut, her breathing even.

Harry was worried about her. He still cared.

A dourness pulled at her lips.

More than likely, she was dreaming, hallucinating. The man was as stubborn as they came.

The swish of the door broke the silence and his footsteps sounded across the room. When he reached the bed, he took her hand in his and whispered, “Mattie, it’s me, Harry.”

Matilda opened her eyes and looked into the clear depths of his worried gaze. She wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of emotions that consumed her—sorrow, regret, love—and she found herself wanting to get lost in his gaze, wanting to give in to his request.

With an effort, she pulled her hand from his. “What are you doing here?”

“I was concerned about you. I had to see for myself that you were okay.”

“I’m no longer your concern.”

He straightened his back and glowered down at her. “That’s right. You’re seeing Jeb now. Kissing him. What are you doing with him? What do you know about him?”

“I know he’s kind and gentle, and he doesn’t object to me raising Hope.”

“He’s a fool. You’re a fool too.”

She gritted her teeth. “Out.”

He took a deep breath and she knew him well enough to know that when he raked his hand through his hair like that, he was attempting to control his anger. “I see you’re not ready to listen to reason yet.”

“Get out of my room, Harry. I don’t want to see you ever again.” She raised her voice. “
Nurse
.”